Process of treating garbage.



N0.742,225. PATENTBD 00T.2719os.

E. s. 1v1-30K.`

PROCESS-0B TREATING GARBAGE. l

APPLICATION FILED Nov.1'1, moz.

No MODEL,

atented ctober 27, 1903.

PATENTV OFFICE.

ERNESTv S. PECK, OF NEWBURG, OHIO.

PROCESS oFp-TREATlNc GARBAGE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N. 742,225, dateaoctober27, 1903.

Application tiled November 17, 1902.

To a/ZZ whom it may concern,.-

Be it known that I, ERNEST S. PECK, a citi- A zen of the UnitedStates,and a resident of Newburg, county of Cuyahoga, and State of Ohio,have invented a new and useful Improvement in Processes of TreatingGarbage, of which the following is a specification, the principle of theinvention being herein explained and the best mode in which I havecontemplated applying that principle, so as to distinguish it from otherinventions.

Myimproved process relates to methods of treating garbage, its objectbeing to recover therefrom all the valuable ingredients containedtherein in an economical and eiicient manner. Heretofore in processes ofthis character a large part of the desirable material has been lost, dueto the imperfect or usually total lack of utilization of those liquidproducts which contain this material in solution.l It is the remedy ofthis imperfection that is the especial object of this invention.

Said improved process consists of steps here inafter fully described,and specifically set forth in the claims.

The annexed drawings illustrate one form of apparatus for carrying outmy process, the disclosed form, however, constituting but one of variousforms of apparatus which may be used in carrying out the principle ofsaid invention.

In said annexed drawings, Figure Irepresents a vertical section of saidapparatus, and Fig. II represents a horizontal section of same.

A digester is provided and comprises a cylindrical receptacle A,provided with a double shell forming a surrounding steam-jacket a. Thisjacket communicates with a chamber a', formed at the-bottom of thereceptacle A between a diaphragm d2 and a head a3. Upon the middle ofthe diaphragm a2 is supported a steam-dome'B, closed at the top andopen-at the bottom to communicate with the chamber a'. A discharge-pipeC connects with an opening in the bottom 'of chamber a', whichdischarges into a steam-trap D. This trap is preferably connectedwiththe boiler used for generating steam utilized in my process. The topof the receptacle is provided with an opening a4 and a door A', formingan air-tight closure therewith, and an opening `Serial No. 131,606. (Nospecimens.)

a5, which is connected to a pipe or conduit E, containing a valve c forcutting off communication with the interior of the receptacle.

This conduit is connected with a condensing or vacuum pump. (Not shown.)A suitable supply-pipe F` connects with and'supplies steam from asuitable source and at a suitable pressure to the interior of the jacketa. An air-tight door A2 is provided for removing the solid matter fromthe receptacles interior and forms an air-tight closure with an openingd6. A safety-valve a7 is placed at a convenient location, such as in theconduit E, as shown, and arranged to blow 01T at about fifty poundspressure.

f In carrying out myprocess the garbage and a quantity of water areintroduced into the digester, whereupon the valve e is shut to cut ocommunication through conduit'E. The digester is thus renderedair-tight. Steam being admitted into the jacket d and the dome B, thegarbage is now thoroughly-cooked,

while thus excluded from the atmosphere. This cooking converts part ofthe uncombinedand combined water into vapoIg-the remainder becoming veryhighly heated. When the cooking has progressed sufficient-ly, the valvee is opened, whereupon the vaporous content of the digester is exhaustedfrom its interior by means of the condensing or vacuum pump. Suchvaporous content, as well as all of the free water which now is given anopportunity to volatilize by reason of the constant vacuum produced inthereceptacle by the continuous withdrawing of Qthe vapors and by reasonof the high temperature maintained in the receptacle by the steam whichis still heating the jacket, is thus permanently removed and carriedaway from the receptacle without removing any of the solid mattercontained therein. By free water I mean the liquid contents of thereceptacle which contain none of the oleaginous matter nor of thegarbage, which water would normally drain slowly off from the tankageand which does not adhere to the .garbage with enough pertinacity torequire pressure to separate it from the same. My method of exhaustingexpeditiously and effectively removes this part of the liquid content.Al-

though such part of the liquid content might be removed by thecompression to which the garbage is subjected after the cooking, stillby the method of exhausting nearly all of the undesirable material isdisposed of during and immediately following the time of cooking and thesubsequent operation of evaporating down to stick that part of theliquid product which is pressed out of the tankage is lnade much shorterand more economical. Should the pressure in the receptacle rise duringthe cooking above fifty pounds, the safety-valve blows otl' and part ofthe vaporous content escapes and is so removed automatically. This solidmatter or tankage, as it is now called, is then removed and compressedinto what is technically known as cheese. The expressed liquid resultingfrom this operation is recovered, allowed to stand in a suitablereceptacle, and the oleaginous matter then skimmed off from the top andpreserved. The remaining liquid is now condensed to stick byevaporation. The cheese is disintegrated by means of aV suitablecrusher, and the stick is poured upon such disintegrated material,whichabsorbs it, and the resultant product dried in a suitable dryingapparatus. A fine, mealy, homogeneous product results, which representssubstantially the total initial weight of the garbage less its combinedwater and the oleaginous content and which has a greater weight andvalue than those products resulting from processes in which liquid ispermitted to drain o during the cooking operation and in which muchvaluable material is lost.

I have found that by the use of my abovedescribed process nearly all ofthe valuable oleaginous matter is recovered, a very small percentage ofit remaining in the tankage.

I have found by the use of my above-described process that- First. Apercentage of oleaginous matter is recovered which is much greater thanthat which I have heretofore been able to recover by other processes.This has been shown by the fact that where heretofore I have found thatthe cheese contained about twelve per cent. of oleaginous matter it nowcontains as low as three and one-half per cent.

Second. The weight of the resultant prodnct is about twice that formerlyobtained, thereby increasing its value.

Third. Such product contains a larger percentage of the more valuableingredients, so that its value is still further increased.

Fourth. The process may be carried out to completion by the consumptionof about half the quantity of coal which I have heretofore foundnecessary.

Fifth. The time necessary to complete the process is much less than thatheretofore required.

Sixth. The labor required in carrying out the process is much less thanthat heretofore required.

Ey the term garbage I mean to include not only kitchen refuse, bothanimal and vegetable, but also slaughter-house and packing-house oftaland refuse and oi'lal of analogous character.

Other modes of applying the principle of myinvention may be employedinstead of the one explained, change being made as regards the processherein disclosed, provided the means stated by any one of the followingclaims or the equivalent of such stated means be employed.

I therefore particularly point out and distinctly claim as myinvention-I. The improved subprocess for treating raw garbage which consists incooking such garbage in a closed air-tight receptacle by radiated heat,and then exhausting, and permanently carrying away, the vaporous contentof the receptacles interior.

2. The improved subprocess for treating raw garbage which consists incooking such garbage in a closed air-tight receptacle by radiated heat,and then exhausting, and permanently carrying away, the vaporous contentof the receptacles interior, reducing the pressure and continuing theheating.

3. The improved subprocess for treating raw garbage which consists incooking such garbage in a closed air-tight receptacle by radiated heat,exhausting the receptacles interior of its vaporous content, removingthe tankage and compressing it to remove the remaining liquid,evaporating theliquid thus expressed to stick, adding the stick to thecompressed tankage, and drying the resultant product.

4. The improved subprocess for treating raw garbage which consists incooking such garbage in a closed air-tight receptacle by radiated heat,separating from such receptacle vaporous and free-water content byexhausting both the normal vapors and also those that result from theWater which is volatilizing, removing the tankage and compressing it toremove the remaining liquid, evaporating the liquid thus expressed tostick, adding the stick to the compressed tankage and drying theresultant product.

5. The improved subprocess for treating raw garbagewhich consists incooking such garbage in a closed air-tight receptacle by radiated heat,maintaining the heat, separating from such receptacle all of itsvaporous and free-Water content by exhausting both the normal vapors andalso continuously exhausting those vapors that result from the waterwhich is volatilizing by reason of the high temperature maintained inthe receptacle, removing the tankage and compressing it to remove theremaining liquid, evaporating the liquid thus expressed to stick, addingthe stick to the compressed tankage and drying the resultant product.

6. The improved subprocess for treating raw garbage which consists incooking such garbage in a closed air-tight receptacle by heat radiatingfrom and toward the center, maintaining the heat after cooking,separating from such receptacle all of its vaporous and free-Watercontent by exhausting both the normal vapors and also continuously eX-hausting those vapors that result from the water which is volatilizingby reason of the high temperature maintained in the receptacle, removingthe tankage and compressing it to remove the remaining liquid,evaporating the liquid thus expressed to stick, adding the stick to thecompressed tankage and drying the resultant product.

7. The improved subprocess for treating raw garbage which consists incooking such garbage in a closed air-tight receptacle by radiated heat,separat-ing from such receptacle all of its vaporous and free-Watercontent by exhausting both the normal vapors and also continuouslyexhausting those vapors that result from the water which is volatilizingby reason of the high temperature maintained in the receptacle by theradiating heat, removing the tankage and compressing it to heatradiating radially and peripherally from and toward the center of thereceptacle, separating from such receptacle all of its vaporous andfree-Water content by exhaust, removing the tankage and compressing itto remove the remaining liquid, removing the oleaginous matter fromthe'expressed liquid, evaporating the remaining liquid to stick, addingthe stick to the compressed tankage, and drying the resultant product.

Signed by me this 11th day of November,

ERNEST S. PECK.

Attest:

D. T. DAvIEs, A. E. MERKEL.

